Toe protector for athletic footwear having removable cleats

ABSTRACT

A toe protector adapted to be removably attached to an external portion of the toe-box of cleated athletic footwear having removable cleats to protect an athlete&#39;s foot from crush injuries. The toe protector includes a pair of plantar flanges, each having pair of spaced apart threaded cleat stud receiving holes used to attach the toe protector to the cleated athletic footwear. It is formed plastic, or other materials, having sufficient thickness and hardness to withstand deformation and deflect crush forces applied to the toe-box of the cleated athletic footwear. It is designed to be universally applicable to most all athletic footwear having removable cleats available from known manufacturers and can be easily transferable to other similarly sized cleated footwear.

BACKGROUND

Disclosed in embodiments herein is an impact protection device for an athletic shoe, and more specifically a detachable toe protector for athletic footwear having removable cleats.

Athletes are prone to a common type of foot injury while wearing cleated footwear which involves crushing or deformation of the toe-box area when external compressive forces are applied to the front of the footwear. Football players, especially offensive and defensive linemen, are susceptible to crush injuries from another player stepping on the player's cleated footwear, shown generally at 100 in FIG. 1. Rugby players encounter similar injuries. Baseball players face a variety of hazards including foul tips off the player's foot, and being spiked by another player's cleat which crushes the toe-box of the cleat. The toe-box 110 of athletic cleated footwear 100, including football cleats and baseball cleats, among others, will typically collapse or deform during these events as they come under loads which might exceed six times body weight. The resulting injuries can be acute, subacute or chronic and can include, but are not limited to subungual hematoma (i.e. blood clot under the injured toenail), ingrown toenail, sprain-ligament damage (known as “turf toe”), fracture, extensor/flexor tendonitis or tear. These injuries can adversely affect an athlete's performance and may require significant medical treatment and prolonged rehabilitation. They can also be prone to re-injury.

Conventional athletic footwear having cleats 120, referred to herein as cleated footwear 100, does not provide protection against such injuries. The toe-box 110 of conventional cleats remains relatively unprotected.

Toe protection has been used for non-athletic footwear, such as work boots for some time. “Steel-toed shoes” have offered toe protection against crush injuries in all types of industries, ranging from mining, factory, automobile, etc. However, these devices are not designed for the cleated athlete.

It is desirable to protect an athlete wearing cleated footwear from a foot injury by guarding the toe-box against incursion while providing the full range of motion offered by conventional, unprotected cleats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional cleated athletic shoe with removable cleats having an unprotected toe-box;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the conventional cleated athletic shoe of FIG. 1 a with a toe protector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 a is a perspective view of a left foot toe protector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 b is a perspective view of a right foot toe protector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating distances between threaded cleat stud receiving holes of a left foot toe protector and a right foot toe protector;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of right foot toe protector being attached to the right foot of a cleated athletic shoe with removable cleats;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a right foot toe protector attached to a cleated athletic shoe showing the toe protector in relation to the bone structure of an athlete's right foot;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a left foot toe protector attached to a cleated athletic shoe showing the toe protector in relation to the bone structure of an athlete's left foot; and

FIG. 8 a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of a toe protector being attached to a left cleated athletic shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 2, a toe protector, shown generally at 200, is provided for removable external attachment to cleated athletic footwear 100 having removable cleats 120. Cleated athletic footwear 100 is manufactured in three styles, including: high-tops, mid-cut, and low-cut. The toe protector 200 is designed to be used with all three styles. Some cleated footwear have fixed, non-removable cleats (not shown) which cannot be taken off the shoe. Other cleated footwear 100 have removable cleats 120 which can be easily removed and replaced as shall be described in further detail below. The toe protector 200 is used with cleated footwear 100 having removable cleats 120. Cleats 120 come in a range of different sizes, including ½ inch, ⅝ inch, ¾ inch, and 1 inch sizes, among others, to enable the athlete to optimize traction for different field conditions. As such, removable cleats 120 are typically preferred over non-removable cleats, and their use may even be mandated. The toe protector 200 can be used with all sizes of removable cleats 120.

The cleated footwear 100 includes an upper portion 130, also known as the upper, which is typically made from leather or synthetic material. The upper 130 includes laces 140 which are tightened to secure the cleated footwear 100 to an athlete's foot in a conventional manner. The toe protector 200 is adapted to be externally secured over the toe-box portion 110 of the upper 130 without attachment to the upper itself, as shall be described in further detail below.

The cleated footwear 100 also includes a lower, referred to herein as a sole 150, attached to the upper 130 in a conventional manner. The removable cleats 120 are screwed into the bottom of the sole 150, as shall be described in further detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, each toe protector 200 is left foot/right foot specific, thus a pair of toe protectors will be used which includes a left foot toe protector shown at 200 a in FIG. 3 a, and a right foot toe protector 200 b shown in FIG. 3 b. The toe protectors 200 a, 200 b include similar features, though medial and lateral features will be disposed on opposite sides. Thus, the toe protectors 200 a, 200 b are referred to generally as toe protector 200 and the description of such is applicable to both.

The toe protector 200 includes a one-piece body 210 having a lateral wall 220, a medial wall 230, and a central portion 240 disposed between the lateral and the medial walls. The body 210 is arc-shaped, forming a smooth curve, moving from the lateral wall 220 to the central portion 240 to the medial wall 230 to conform to the external dimensions of the toe-box portion 110 of the cleated footwear 100. The body 210 includes a distal end 250 adapted to be disposed closest to the front of the footwear 100 and an oppositely disposed proximal end 260 adapted to be disposed closer to the laces 140, when attached to the cleated footwear 100. In one non-limiting example, the lateral wall 220 and medial wall 230 are curved and non-parallel moving from the proximal end 260 to the distal end 250 such that the distance between these walls is greater at the proximal end than at the distal end so as to conform to the shape of the toe-box 110 of the cleated footwear 100.

The lateral wall 220 terminates in a lateral plantar flange 270 having a pair of spaced apart threaded cleat stud receiving holes including a first hole 272 formed near the proximal end 260, and a second hole 274 formed near the distal end 250. The medial wall 230 terminates in a medial plantar flange 280 having a pair of spaced apart threaded cleat stud receiving holes, including a first hole 282 formed near the proximal end 260, and a second hole 284 formed near the distal end 250. The lateral and medial plantar flanges 270, 280 extend towards each other from the respective lateral and medial walls 220, 230 and terminate in respective ends 271, 281 which are spaced apart.

The lateral and medial plantar flanges 270, 280 are shaped to closely conform to the shape of respective lateral and medial portions of the sole 150. As such, in one example, the flanges 270, 280 can be generally flat moving from the proximal end 260 to the distal end 250. In another example, the flanges 270, 280 can include curved portions. In one example, two or more of the portions of the flanges 270, 280 having the threaded cleat stud receiving holes 272, 274, 282, 284 can be generally planar, so as to closely conform to the front portion of the sole 150. In other examples, the portions of the flanges 270, 280 having the threaded cleat stud receiving holes 272, 274, 282, 284 are not planar so that they closely conform to the sole 150 of other cleated footwear.

The body 210, including the entire toe protector 200, is semi-rigid and malleable so as to withstand deformation and deflect crush forces applied to the toe-box 110 of the footwear 100. The body 210 is formed plastic, or other materials, having sufficient thickness and hardness to protect the toe-box 110 as discussed herein. In one non-limiting example, the body is formed of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), which is a plastic material having a tensile strength of about 4000 psi to about 7000 psi, and more preferably about 5100 psi to about 6100 psi, and a Rockwell hardness score of about R90 to about R120 and more preferably about R102 to about R109, though it should be appreciated that other suitable ranges of tensile strength and hardness may be used. The material of this non-limiting example has an impact strength of about 5.2 ft-lbs/in to about 7.7 ft-lbs/in, which provides optimal impact absorption so as to deflect the energy of the impact of another player stepping on a player's foot thereby protecting the vulnerable area of the athlete's forefoot. The thickness of the toe protector body 210 is about 0.0625 inches thick when made of ABS, though other suitable thicknesses are contemplated.

The toe protector 200 is lightweight, weighing about 20 grams to about 30 grams, by way of non-limiting example, to minimize its influence on the athlete's performance. In one example, the toe protector 200 weights about 25 grams. It can be made available in various colors, including black, to blend with the athletic shoe 100. It should be appreciated that other materials besides ABS plastic can be used, including but not limited to Lexan (Polycarbonate), having a tensile strength of about 8000 psi to about 16,000 psi, a Rockwell hardness score of about R118 to about R126 and an impact strength of about 1.5 ft-lbs/in to about 18 ft-lbs/in. The thickness of the Lexan toe protector can be about 0.08 inches to about 0.1 inches thick, though other suitable thicknesses are contemplated. In another example, the toe protector body 210 can be made of high impact polypropylene.

The toe protector 200 can be formed by heat molding. In a first example, it can be formed by thermofoming. A sheet of plastic/polymer is heated to a temperature that enables it to be molded. The sheet is then formed into or around a mold and allowed to cool. It is then trimmed off the mold. In another example, the toe protector 200 can be formed by injection molding. Plastic/polymer material is melted to a liquid state and then forced into a mold. It is allowed to cool and harden in the mold and then released. In another example, the toe protector can be formed by blow molding. The plastic/polymer material is melted down and formed into a pre-form shape. The pre-form is then clamped into a mold and air is pumped into the pre-form. The plastic/polymer expands against the sides of the mold, where it is held and allowed to cool, taking on the shape of the mold. Trimming can be done if needed.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the toe protector 200 can be made in different sizes and shapes to fit different models of cleated footwear manufactured by any cleated footwear maker. Further, it can be made in different sizes to fit different sized cleated footwear from pediatric-sized to adolescent-sized to adult-sized. The threaded cleat stud receiving holes 272, 274, 282, 284 can be round. In another example one or more of the threaded cleat stud receiving holes 272, 274, 282, 284 can be slotted, as shown in FIG. 5, to accommodate different cleat layouts and different sizes of cleated footwear 100.

Distances between the centers of the threaded cleat stud receiving holes are provided by way of example. The range of distances between the centers of the first threaded cleat stud receiving hole 272 and the second threaded cleat stud receiving hole 274 in the lateral planter flange 270, shown at A, is about 1.35 inches to about 2.65 inches, and more preferably about 1.60 inches to about 2.40 inches. The range of distances between the centers of the first threaded cleat stud receiving hole 282 and the second threaded cleat stud receiving hole 284 in the medial planter flange 280, shown at B, is about 1.05 inches to about 2.40 inches, and more preferably about 1.30 inches to about 2.15 inches. The range of distances between the centers of the first threaded cleat stud receiving hole 272 in the lateral plantar flange 270 and the first threaded cleat stud receiving hole 282 in the medial plantar flange 280, shown at C, is about 2.00 inches to about 3.25 inches, and more preferably about 2.25 inches to about 3.00 inches. The range of distances between the centers of the first threaded cleat stud receiving hole 272 in the lateral plantar flange 270 and the second threaded cleat stud receiving hole 284 in the medial plantar flange 280, shown at D, is about 2.70 inches to about 4.35 inches, and more preferably about 2.95 inches to about 4.10 inches. The range of distances between the centers of the second threaded cleat stud receiving hole 274 in the lateral plantar flange 270 and the first threaded cleat stud receiving hole 282 in the medial plantar flange 280, shown at E, is about 3.25 inches to about 2.05 inches, and more preferably about 3.00 inches to about 2.30 inches. The range of distances between the centers of the second threaded cleat stud receiving hole 284 in the medial plantar flange 280 and the second threaded cleat stud receiving hole 274 in the lateral plantar flange 270, shown at F, is about 1.70 inches to about 2.95 inches, and more preferably about 1.95 inches to about 2.70 inches.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the toe protector 200 is adapted to be easily attached and detached from cleated footwear 100 having removable cleats 120. The removable cleats 120 are attached to the footwear 100 by a threaded cleat stud 122 which is received in a threaded hole (not shown) in the bottom of the sole 150. A method of attaching the toe protector 200 to the footwear 100 can include removing the two cleats 120 a from the lateral side and the two cleats 120 b from the medial side of the forefoot of the footwear. This is typically done using a cleat key 400, which is a wrench typically provided by the footwear manufacturer (or aftermarket manufacturers) that is specifically made to fit over the cleat 120 such that a flat, or protrusion, on the wrench 400 engages the cleat 120. The cleat 120 is removed by turning it until the threaded stud 122 is released from the threaded hole. The toe-protector 200 is then placed over the outside of the toe-box 110 such that the distal end 250 faces towards the toe (i.e. front of the shoe 100) and the proximal end faces towards the laces 150. In this external attachment, the lateral wall 220 extends around the lateral side of the footwear and the medial wall 230 extends around the medial side such that the lateral and medial plantar flanges 270, 280 extend over portions of the bottom of the sole 150. Though semi-rigid, the walls of the toe-protector 200 can be pulled apart somewhat to facilitate this placement.

The toe-protector 200 is then moved forward to backward over the shoe until the threaded cleat stud receiving holes 272, 274 holes in a lateral plantar flange 270 are aligned with a pair of lateral threaded cleat stud receiving holes in the sole of the cleated footwear and threaded cleat stud receiving holes 282, 284 holes in a medial plantar flange 280 are aligned with a pair of medial threaded cleat stud receiving holes in the sole of the cleated footwear. The threaded cleat studs 122 of each respective removable cleat 120 a, 120 b are pushed through each of the threaded cleat stud receiving holes 272, 274, 282, 284 and into the corresponding holes 172, 174, 182, 184 (shown in FIG. 8) in the sole 150. The cleats 120 are then screwed onto the footwear using the wrench 400 to secure the toe-protector 200 to the footwear 100. The toe-protector 200 can be easily removed from the cleated footwear by removing these four cleats 120 a, 120 b so that the toe-protector can then be pulled off of the shoe. In this manner, the toe protector 200 can be removed for cleaning and/or storage. It is generally universal, and as such, it can be transferred to other similarly-sized cleated footwear 100.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the toe protector 200 is shown attached to the cleated footwear 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the distal end 250 of the protector 200 extends over the athlete's 1^(st) through 5^(th) phalanges, including the distal, middle and proximal phalanges to protect them from crush injuries. Full protection of the great toe from crush injuries is a feature. In one example, the distal end 250 of the toe protector 200 extends up to near the front of the footwear 100 without covering the front-most portion, as shown in FIG. 7.

The proximal end 260 is curved to follow the curve of the first through fifth metatarssophalangeal articulations 600, that is the joints between the metatarsal bones 602 of the foot and the proximal phalanges 604 of the toes, referred to herein as the MTP joints, as shown in FIG. 6. In one example, this curve is a parabolic arc having a swept angle of about 142 degrees, +/− about 5 degrees, which follows the anatomic parabola of the MTP joints 600 of the athlete's foot beneath it. The proximal end 260 of the central portion 240 of the toe protector 200 extends to the first through fifth metatarssophalangeal articulations 600, that is the joints between the metatarsal bones 602 of the foot and the proximal phalanges 604 of the toes, referred to herein as the MTP joints, as shown in FIG. 6. The size, shape and orientation of the attached toe protector 200 allows the MTP joints 600 freedom of movement without compromising range-of-motion, push-off strength, running ability, etc.

The one-piece, semi-rigid toe protector 200 provides sufficient material strength to deflect impact forces away from the athlete's toes/forefoot and prevent crushing or other significant deformation of the footwear's toe-box 110. The toe protector 200 can be easily secured over the toe-box of the cleated footwear 100 using the footwear's removable cleats and thus, it does not require any changes or modifications to the footwear. The toe protector 200 can also be removed from the cleated footwear 200 in a simple manner, as discussed above.

Referring now to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the toe protector is shown generally at 800. This toe protector 800 includes the same features as the toe protector 200 described above. The toe protector 800 can also be right foot/left foot specific in a similar manner. The toe protector 800 also includes a distal plantar flange 890 extending from the distal end 250 of the central portion 240. The distal plantar flange 890 includes a threaded cleat stud receiving hole 892 adapted to receive the threaded cleat stud 822 of the front most removable cleat 820. This embodiment of the toe protector is attached to the cleated footwear 100 in a similar manner as the toe protector 200 a, 200 b described above, but in addition, it is secured to the cleated shoe 100 using the front-most removable cleat 892. This is accomplished by aligning a threaded cleat stud receiving hole 892 in a distal plantar flange 890 with a distal threaded cleat stud receiving hole 192 in the sole 150, pushing a threaded cleat stud 822 of a removable cleat 820 into the threaded cleat stud receiving hole 892 in the distal plantar flange 890, and screwing the removable cleat into the sole of the cleated footwear 100.

The toe protector 200, 800 is designed as a “cleat-accessory” to protect and/or treat athletes of all ages using cleated footwear having removable cleats from injury or re-injury. It is designed to be universally applicable to most all athletic footwear having removable cleats available from known manufacturers. It can be easily transferable to other similarly sized cleated footwear. In addition to preventing injuries, it also can be used post-injury to provide preventative protection against re-injury, thereby providing the athlete an earlier return to practice/competition. The toe protector 200, 800 can be used on grass or turf fields without damaging either the playing surface or the athlete's mobility on the playing surface. 

We claim:
 1. A toe protector adapted to be removably attached over at least a portion of a toe-box of cleated athletic footwear with removable cleats having threaded cleat studs, the toe protector comprising: a semi-rigid arc-shaped body having a lateral wall, a medial wall, and a central portion disposed between the lateral wall and the medial wall, the lateral wall terminating in a lateral plantar flange having a pair of spaced apart threaded cleat stud receiving holes, the medial portion terminating in a medial plantar flange having a pair of spaced apart threaded cleat stud receiving holes.
 2. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein the lateral plantar flange extends from the lateral wall and terminates in a lateral planter flange end, and the medial plantar flange extends from the medial plantar wall and terminates in a medial plantar flange end spaced apart from the lateral plantar flange end, whereby the lateral plantar flange and the medial plantar flange extend towards each other in a facing relationship.
 3. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein the first plantar flange and the second plantar flange are generally coplanar.
 4. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein at least some of the threaded cleat stud receiving holes are round.
 5. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein at least some of the threaded cleat stud receiving holes are slotted.
 6. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein the central portion includes a parabolic shaped proximal end extending between the lateral wall and the medial wall.
 7. The toe protector of claim 6 wherein the parabolic shaped proximal end defines a parabolic arc having a swept angle of about 137 degrees to about 147 degrees.
 8. The toe protector of claim 7 wherein the parabolic shaped proximal end defines a parabolic arc having a swept angle of about 142 degrees.
 9. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein the central portion includes a distal end terminating in a distal plantar flange having a threaded cleat stud receiving hole.
 10. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein the toe protector body is left-foot specific and shaped to more closely conform to a toe-box of left foot cleated athletic footwear than a toe-box of associated right foot cleated athletic footwear.
 11. The toe protector of claim 1 wherein the toe protector body is right-foot specific and shaped to more closely conform to a toe-box of a right foot cleated athletic footwear than a toe-box of associated left foot cleated athletic footwear.
 12. A method of protecting the toe-box of cleated footwear comprising: placing a toe protector over an external portion of the toe-box of the cleated footwear; aligning a pair of threaded cleat stud receiving holes in a lateral plantar flange of the toe protector with a pair of lateral threaded cleat stud receiving holes in the sole of the cleated footwear; aligning a pair of threaded cleat stud receiving holes in a medial plantar flange of the toe protector with a pair of medial threaded cleat stud receiving holes in the sole of the cleated footwear; pushing a respective threaded cleat stud of a respective removable cleat through each of the pair of threaded cleat stud receiving holes in the lateral plantar flange and into each of the pair of threaded cleat stud receiving holes in the medial plantar flange; and screwing each of the respective removable cleats into the sole of the cleated footwear to secure the toe protector to the cleated footwear.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: aligning a threaded cleat stud receiving hole in a distal plantar flange of the toe protector with a distal threaded cleat stud receiving hole in the sole of the cleated footwear; pushing a threaded cleat stud of a removable cleat into the threaded cleat stud receiving hole in the distal plantar flange; and screwing the removable cleat into the sole of the cleated footwear. 